Saturday, November 13, 2010

Rangers v Celtic gallery3

– yet, as he confessed afterwards, Tony Mowbray comforted himself in the visitors’ dugout with the thought that one solid header out of the penalty box would see the game to its finish. Not for the first time this season, however, the feat eluded his playersMadjid Bougherra, who had ambled upfield to supplement Rangers’ threat, got there first with an effort which Boruc blocked, but could not hold. Kris Boyd snapped on to the loose ball and again the goalkeeper foiled without clutching. The rebound fell to Edu, inches from the line – one small step for a footballer, one giant leap for Rangers Football ClubIt might have been a numbing moment for Celtic, but no anaesthetic could have dulled the pain of the grievance they bore throughout the final quarter of the proceedings after Scott Brown was dismissed.Mowbray had gambled the award of the captaincy to a player with a flammable temper, in the hope that the better angel of his nature would be coaxed into prominenceThe manager’s reward was to see a nondescript scrap for possession end with Brown pushing his head into Kyle Lafferty’s chest.From a distance it looked worth nothing more than a booking – if that – but Dougie McDonald ruled violent conduct and produced a red card which Celtic will appeal, small comfort though that may bring.A prominent member of Celtic’s hierarchy last week leaked news of a complaint from the club to the SFA about refereeing standards in previous derbies this season, with the intention of putting McDonald under added pressure in this one.Celtic's Paul Hartley and Rangers captain Barry FergusoDarcheville has still to play a full match for Rangers, but in bursts of 60 to 70 minutes he has been a threat to the best defences in Scotland and across Europe. Appeared to revel in his first Old Firm outing last month, and a trip across the city to Parkhead is unlikely to hold any fear for the Frenchman.Celtic captain McManus and defensive colleague Gary Caldwell were put under plenty of pressure by Darcheville at Ibrox, and then the Hoops allowed Motherwell to pinch a win at Parkhead in their next outing.McManus scored at both ends when Celtic avenged their defeat to Motherwell on Sunday, winning ongoing ankle problem means Ferguson may not have hit top form in terms of performances in recent weeks but the Rangers skipper undoubtedly remains the driving force behind the team. Now a veteran of Old Firm derbies, his influence will be crucial if Rangers are to win the midfield battleHartley has spent the season vying for a midfield slot with Massimo Donati and now seems to be getting the nod ahead of the Italian in the big games, starting last month's Old Firm derby aCuellar's Clydesdale Bank Player of the Season award looks set to be the first of several individual prizes for the Spaniard, who has been a defensive rock alongside David Weir.Celtic have failed to breach the Gers defence in the last four meetings and Cuellar will be a key figure if Rangers are to extend that record.McDonaldRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v CelticRangers v Celtic